


Weather or Not

by then00breturns1101



Category: Original Work
Genre: Color Motifs, Flash Fiction, Gen, Growing Up, Puddles - Freeform, Written for a Class
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:08:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27673136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/then00breturns1101/pseuds/then00breturns1101
Summary: A short story about puddles, growing up, and learning to love both.
Kudos: 5





	Weather or Not

**Author's Note:**

> So, this was an assignment for my creative writing class, but I decided to post it here too after I turned it in! This was a fun little story to write.

_“Careful, careful, watch your step-- oh no, you're all wet!”_

Allison's mother cried out in dismay as the little toddler fell, face-first, into the muddy puddle left behind from the previous night's rain. Breathless shock turned to bawling shrieks as Allison pushed herself up, face flushed red and contorted into a cry of frustration and discomfort.

_“Ally, put your boots on first.”_

Allison barely took the time to pull on her little rain boots, orange and patterned with monkeys, before running out and jumping into the biggest puddle she could find. Her giggling and whooping echoed in the street, punctuated with splashes and squelches. The mud clung to her skirt and water soaked her socks, but her eyes were bright with joy.

_“Mom, my shoes are ruined!”_

Allison whined as she fruitlessly tried to rub the mud off her new faux-suede flats. Once a lovely shade of pastel yellow matching her dress, they were now stained a rotten-banana brown from her misstep and stumble into the street. It took a lot of reassuring that it was okay, they could be washed, before she could cheer up enough to put them back on and run out of the car to her friend’s 10th birthday party.

_“Have you applied for any colleges yet?”_

Allison shrugged, hands in her pockets and eyes downcast, looking away from her father walking next to her. It was raining, and the cracked and uneven sidewalk was full of dips and depressions where water could gather. She didn't answer the question. Her dad already knew that her reply would be "no." As they walked, Allison stepped aside onto a lawn to avoid a deep puddle, but the moisture on the grass still dampened her green camo sneakers.

_“We’re going to be late!”_

Allison cursed in response and shouted a plea to hurry as she ran with her classmate over the wet and shining asphalt. Raindrops covered her glasses, filling her vision with blurry splotches. Her navy blue hoodie was starting to cling to her arms, and whatever dryness was left in her already-damp backpack was driven out as the campus bus drove by—the tires sank into the dip in the side of the road where filthy murk had pooled, spraying it onto the sidewalk and leaving Allison completely drenched.

_“Careful everyone, the trail's slippery this time of year.”_

Allison's hiking boots held fast against the muddy path as she called out to the group behind her. The state park always looked so lovely in the spring, even if the melting snows meant that staying on two feet, clean and dry, was a challenge. As her gaze tilted upwards to watch petals drift idly down from the trees, she missed a step and ended up calf-deep in frigid water and sediment. The dirt splattered onto her violet guide uniform, but she only laughed.

_“Well, that’s occupational hazards for you. Everyone else watch your step, unless you’re as keen on puddles as I am.”_

**Author's Note:**

> To the baker's dozen random people who probably actually read this, I hope you enjoyed!  
> If you did, please leave a comment, they make my day :)


End file.
